HRLN 
                    
                        HANDBOOK ON 
                     FOREST RIGHTS ACT 
                    
        
                                                  
       Photo courtesy: Frontline 
                              
                              
                              
                      EDITED BY: AHMED RAZA 
        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                           :: CONTENTS :: 
                                                                        
                 1.      Preface                                                                            … 
                 2.      What is Forest Rights Act?                                                         …  
                 3.      Process of rights recognition                                                      … 
                 4.      Who is eligible for rights under the Act                                           … 
                 5.      Different authorities under Forest Rights Act :                            
                         Constitution, Power and Duty                                                       … 
                 6.      Steps for individual claim verification                                            … 
                 7.      Grievance and Appeal                                                               … 
                 8.      What are the rights protected  in the Act and how can one claim … 
                 9.      Provisions of Community Forest resources in the Act                                … 
                 10.     Evidence for determination of Forest Right                                         … 
                 11.     Status of implementation in Jharkhand                                              … 
                 12.     Conclusion                                                                         … 
                  
                 I.      Annexure 1: Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional  
                         Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.                          … 
                  
                 II.     Annexure II: Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional  
                         Forest Dwellers Recognition of Forest Rights) Amendment  
                         Rules, 2012.                                                                       … 
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                             ABBREVIATIONS 
                                     
         CFR- Community Forest Resources 
         DFO- Divisional Forest Officer 
         DLC- District Level Committee 
         FRA- Forest Rights Act 
         FRC- Forest Rights Committee 
         GS- Gram Sabha 
         JJBA- Jharkhand Jungle Bachaao Abiyaan 
         MFP- Minor Forest Product 
         MoEF- Ministry of Environment and Forest 
         MoTA- Ministry of Tribal Affairs 
         NTFP- Non Timber Forest Produce 
         PESA- The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996 
         PTG- Primitive Tribal Groups 
         RoR- Record of Rights 
         SC- Scheduled Caste 
         ST- Scheduled Tribes 
         SDLC- Sub-Divisional Level Committee 
         SLMC- State Level Monitoring Committee 
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                          PREFACE 
       The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest 
       Rights) Act, 2006 came into force on December 31, 2007. The traditional rights of 
       the tribals  hitherto been not recognised who have been residing in forests for 
       generations. The Act is a milestone in the field of recognizing forest rights in India. 
       The  relationship  between  forest  dwellers  and  forests,  whether  in  India  or 
       elsewhere  in  the  world,  is  symbiotic  by  nature.  Their  co-existence  has  been 
       considered to be an integral part of their survival and sustainability. This is due to 
       multifarious factors like geographical, ecological, social, economic, religious and 
       cultural linkages between the people and the forest. Over time and again, natural 
       resources  in  India  was  exploited  to  fulfil  the  demands  of  rulers  who  hardly 
       bothered about the customary rights of forest dwellers and tribal people. The 
       same status prevailed even after independence as neither Colonial regime nor 
       successive governments in independence India recognised the rights of indigenous 
       population. 
       Forest  Rights  Act  recognises  and  secures  Community  Rights  or  Rights  over 
       Community Forest Resources, in addition to the Individual Rights. Recognition of 
       Community Rights is a landmark step which is expected to empower communities 
       so  far  being  neglected  and  being  victim  of  “historical  injustice”.  The  Act  also 
       recognises rights of vulnerable tribal groups on forest land and forest resources.  
       This booklet is an attempt to deal extensively with the forest rights claim, be it 
       individual or community rights or community forest resources. It throws light on 
       the  who  are  eligible  for  claiming  rights,  process  of  right  recognition,  different 
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